Cars
The First Car, 1886
Karl Benz patented his three-wheeled Motorwagen in 1886, widely seen as the first true automobile.
More in Cars
Over A Billion Cars On Earth
There are more than 1.4 billion cars on the world's roads today, roughly one for every six people alive.
The Airbag Opens In 30 Milliseconds
A car airbag inflates in about 30 milliseconds, faster than the blink of an eye, cushioning passengers in a crash.
The Beetle's 21 Million
The Volkswagen Beetle was built for 65 years, with over 21 million made, one of the best-selling cars ever.
Faster Than 490 km/h
In 2019 a Bugatti Chiron prototype became the first production-based car to break 300 mph, hitting 490 km/h.
Electric Cars Came First
Electric cars were on the roads in the 1890s and outsold petrol cars in some US cities around 1900.
F1 Cars Could Drive Upside Down
An F1 car creates so much downforce at speed that, in theory, it could drive along a tunnel ceiling.